2011 began like any other growing season. Sure, we had more rain and cooler weather than typical which started the season a bit later, but these variants are to be expected. Unlike the expected surprises from Mother Nature, the shock near the end of the season stunned everyone.
The news was listeria. Specifically, listeria from melons grown in Rocky Ford. The moment we heard of this crisis, our concern went instantly to those who got sick. We were worried about their safety and we were determined to find the cause of this contamination. Thankfully, our melons were safe due to proper processing. Though the cantaloupe with listeria originated outside of our growing area and outside the Rocky Ford region, our farm still took a hit. We chose to take action.
Even though we were already following strict safety standards, we came together with several other farms in the Rocky Ford area to form the Rocky Ford Growers Association, which will be used to institute and enforce new safety standards with independent audits to make sure that Rocky Ford Cantaloupe™ from our area, remains the safe and nutritious fruit it has been for the last 120 years.
This is our farm. This is our family. This is our life. The safety of our fruit, the care of the land, and the satisfaction of our customers are our priority.
Learn more in this article from the Denver Post
Below is our old website’s home page. This was our response to the crisis.